Section: The National Interest (USA)
Russia’s Pacific Pivot: The Moscow-Beijing Shadow Boxing Continues
Miles Maochun Yu Russia, Asia-Pacific “The Sochi Declaration is decidedly anti-China in its wording” Squeezed in Europe by U.S-led sanctions and robust NATO reactions in the aftermath of the annexation of Crimea, Russia is now finding itself in a prime position to exploit the unfolding geopolitical dramas stirred up by China in East...
The Illusion of Russian Military Might
Roger McDermott Russia, Eurasia The representation of Russia’s Army as a new all-powerful tool at the Kremlin’s disposal is hyperbole. Since President Vladimir Putin appointed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in November 2012, the official message from the top brass and leading defense officials presents the Russian military as...
Transforming German Königsberg into Soviet Kaliningrad
Mary Elizabeth Malinkin Kaliningrad, Russia “What is peculiar about Kaliningrad is that it became part of the Soviet Union—part of the Russian Socialist Republic—but had never been in the Soviet Union before.” In continuation of our [Wilson Center] alumni interview series, we talked with Title VIII-supported Research Scholar Nicole...
Georgia’s Delicate Foreign Policy Dance
Denis Corboy, William Courtney, Kenneth Yalowitz Georgia, Eurasia Georgia’s security always seems to be precarious. At a summit meeting in Warsaw in early July, NATO will consider how best to deter Russia. Ukraine and the Baltics will be at center stage. But Georgia deserves a signal in Warsaw that it will not be forgotten if Russia adopts...
The Kremlin’s New Divisions May Actually Reduce Russia’s Military Readiness
Aleksandr Golts Russian Ground Forces, Russia The Russian defense ministry may begin creating skeleton units to be staffed by heretofore non-existent reservists. During a regular ministerial conference call, on May 4, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu clarified previously declared plans to counter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization...
Europe’s Cheesy Musical Proxy War
Ivan Plis Politics, Eurasia This year’s Eurovision Song Contest was a microcosm of regional dynamics. The Eurovision Song Contest isn’t supposed to matter. It’s the vehicle that launched ABBA and Céline Dion to stardom, the realm of ill-conceived, earnest performances that are as divorced from good musical taste as they are from...
On the Brink of Disaster: Can Congress Save the U.S. Military?
Justin T. Johnson Security, The defense authorization bill is the best chance Congress has to stop the downward spiral that our military faces This week the House of Representatives takes up the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2017. Much of the debate and media coverage will revolve around a handful of controversial...
European Missile Defense Sites: Rolling Back the Russian Bear
Dan Goure Missile Defenses, Europe It is a good thing when Washington refuses to be intimidated by the thugs in the Kremlin. Today marks the first significant setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Europe. For more than two years, Russia has been on the march in Europe and elsewhere, undermining the political and economic...
Why the OSCE Keeps Failing to Make Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh
Azad Garibov Security, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh The Minsk Group’s co-chairs could put Azerbaijan and Armenia on the road to resolution. The unprecedented escalation of hostilities on the frontline between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia on April 2–5, 2016, brought the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict back onto the...
Time to Push Back on Russia’s Nuclear Threats
Steven Pifer Security, Eurasia NATO needs an answer to Putin’s saber-rattling. At a May 3 NATO change-of-command ceremony, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter questioned the Kremlin’s tactic of nuclear saber-rattling. Moscow’s jarring rhetoric about nuclear weapons aims to intimidate the West. It has led to unwise suggestions for...
